When thinking about the mindset of investors, The Great Crash 1929 by J.K.Galbraith (reviewed here) should also be required reading. Typically, any sustained fall in prices - known as a bear market - is very destructive to wealth. However, as Galbraith explains wonderfully, each bear market is unique and is a reflection of the bull market that came before it. The book explains a great deal about the feedback loops that can exist when prices rise and fall as more people are either sucked into or forced out of holdings. It is the reference work about a very important slice of Wall Street history.
The biggest obstacle to stock market profits is an inability to control one’s emotions and make logical decisions. In the short-term, the prices of companies reflect the combined emotions of the entire investment community. When a majority of investors are worried about a company, its stock price is likely to decline; when a majority feel positive about the company’s future, its stock price tends to rise.

When selecting a new online broker, the first step is to read reviews and see what features matter most to you. Are low-cost trade commissions most important? What about customer service, the trading platform, mobile app, investment research, ease of use, or education? With many brokers specializing in different areas, it is crucial to evaluate all categories by reading full-length broker reviews.

A person who feels negative about the market is called a “bear,” while their positive counterpart is called a “bull.” During market hours, the constant battle between the bulls and the bears is reflected in the constantly changing price of securities. These short-term movements are driven by rumors, speculations, and hopes – emotions – rather than logic and a systematic analysis of the company’s assets, management, and prospects.
Thirty-two percent of Americans who were invested in the stock market during at least one of the last five financial downturns pulled some or all of their money out of the market. That’s according to a NerdWallet-commissioned survey, which was conducted online by The Harris Poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, among whom over 700 were invested in the stock market during at least one of the past five financial downturns, in June 2018. The survey also found that 28% of Americans would not keep their money in the stock market if there were a crash today.
Finally, one point to mention is that a given cryptocurrency can be listed in more exchanges, with different listing prices (see below – Arbitraging). The best place to look for a cryptocurrency listing in term of total market capitalisation is Coinmarketcap. Cryptocurrencies are listed per descending order of market capitalisation; the site also allows to deep-dive on each cryptocurrency to see their value over time and where they are listed. Some cryptocurrencies may be listed on several exchanges but only 1 or 2 exchanges may see the critical mass of transactions taking place.
Finally, one point to mention is that a given cryptocurrency can be listed in more exchanges, with different listing prices (see below – Arbitraging). The best place to look for a cryptocurrency listing in term of total market capitalisation is Coinmarketcap. Cryptocurrencies are listed per descending order of market capitalisation; the site also allows to deep-dive on each cryptocurrency to see their value over time and where they are listed. Some cryptocurrencies may be listed on several exchanges but only 1 or 2 exchanges may see the critical mass of transactions taking place.

Those exchanges allow the purchase of cryptocurrency either via a card payment, or via a wire transfer / SEPA deposit from your bank account. They will also require some sort of identification because they are bound by financial laws related to customer due diligence and AML (anti money laundering) legislation. You may be asked to provide identification information such as an ID card, a passport or a proof of address. Note that some sites have different thresholds to buy cryptocurrency or withdraw fiat currency to your bank account based on the level of identification info you have provided. If you are into this seriously, make sure to provide the info necessary to the level you want to reach in time, not at the last minute when you want to liquidate your positions (or said differently, when you want to cash out).

To make comparisons between companies, sectors and markets a little easier, there are a number of mathematical models used. The most common and often the most helpful is the P/E ratio. The Price to Earnings ratio takes the share price and is divided by the earnings per share. It is possible to calculate this using past earnings, projected future earnings and with all sorts of moving averages ;-) Therefore, this is one number that it is vital for any investor to know and understand.

Insider trading: this is formally forbidden and punished in regular markets by stock exchanges organisations, but since crypto markets are unregulated, there is no way to apply any control here. Insider trading is when you have insider information about a project before anyone else or before the news hits the public, and you can thus acquire or sell a lot of cryptocurrency before the news break, allowing you to make huge profits, or to minimalise your losses.
Then what? You might be new to investment but already wealthy, what do the super rich do to diversify? They use real estate in New York, London and the Cote d'Azure as a reserve currency. They change their country of residence to a tax haven, pursue naturalization through one of the EU citizenship by investment countries and then buy a sports franchise. Sorry, the sports franchise isn't actually an investment...
Before you start buying cryptocurrency, you must understand some concepts about investing. Remember, cryptocurrency markets are not regulated, so investor sentiment is aggravated by rumours, people spreading false information, « pump and dump » actions, « sell walls », FOMO (fear of missing out) and all sorts of manipulations including insider trading. Knowing these will hopefully help you rationalise your actions.
Warning 2: this is serious. If you don’t believe me, just go on Reddit (r/Cryptocurrency) and look for posts of people who ask for help. There are some devastating stories out there which are all based on greed, credulity, inexperience and/or outright stupidity. You may become rich, but you may also lose everything. People are taking loans with high repayment rates to buy at peak price and will end up ruined. Young inexperienced people have burned their relatives’ lifetime savings, others have no money to pay their university tuition. Don’t be those guys.
Phrases like “earnings movers” and “intraday highs” don’t mean much to the average investor, and in many cases, they shouldn’t. If you’re in it for the long term — with, say, a portfolio of mutual funds geared toward retirement — you don’t need to worry about what these words mean, or about the flashes of red or green that cross the bottom of your TV screen. You can get by just fine without understanding the stock market much at all.
What would make me sell: Sometimes there are good reasons to split up. For this part of your journal, compose an investing prenup that spells out what would drive you to sell the stock. We’re not talking about stock price movement, especially not short term, but fundamental changes to the business that affect its ability to grow over the long term. Some examples: The company loses a major customer, the CEO’s successor starts taking the business in a different direction, a major viable competitor emerges, or your investing thesis doesn’t pan out after a reasonable period of time.